Post- election government must carry forward NCA implementation, says former peace negotiator
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Phyo (NP News) - Oct 21
U Aung Min, who had previously worked for peace in Myanmar, recommended at the 10th Anniversary of the NCA ceremony that the government formed after the election will have to take responsibility for continuing the implementation of the NCA, and he offered suggestions for that government.
“The government that comes into power after the election must take over the responsibility of continuing to implement the NCA. I have five recommendations for the next government,” he said.
He highlighted that number one is political legitimacy, a recognition in political arena. In the minds of those who will be part of the dialogue, it should be a government that is recognized. If possible, it should be a government recognized by both the international community and the people.
“A government with weak political legitimacy may face difficulties in the peace process,” U Aung Min suggested.
The second point is the harmony between peace and security. A situation where security for the people is weak can make it difficult to pursue peace, he added.
In addition, he suggested that number 3 is the peace process organization. Besides the organizations related to both sides, those concerned with each party need to be strengthened. Only when these organizations are strong will the implementation be effective, he continued.
As the fourth point, he recommended to prevent the resurgence of conflict-driven economies as a result of the ceasefire. If conflict-exploiting businesses regain strength, it will be like fueling the fire for future wars. Therefore, during the ceasefire period, it is necessary to find solutions to ensure that conflict economies do not recover.
“The fifth point is to implement the political agreements that have already been reached within a short period of time,” he said.
When asked whether the NCA is still important and valid, he replied “As long as the groups that signed it continue to exist, the NCA will remain relevant. Among the signatories are the Tatmadaw, the Hluttaw, government entities, EAOs, and political parties. However, there are also those who have violated the agreement. Even though they broke it, the agreement itself is still valid.”
He also emphasized the need for every signing party to abide by the agreement, saying “The main objective of this agreement is the establishment of a democratic and federal union, which is a historic responsibility shared by all signatories.”
He noted that during the democratic transition period, there have been many frictions, which have also led to clashes.
“The NCA was not signed merely to stop armed clashes. It is an agreement among armed groups that aims at implementing the democratic transition in a systematic and genuine manner,” he said.
He further added that drafting another NCA would not be possible, as no agreement could be as comprehensive as the existing one. –